Road to Round Two

Molly Nelson, March 6th, 2024

Source: Virginia Tech Athletics

The Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball team is coming off of an explosive season. In the ‘22-‘23 season the Hokies won the 2023 ACC Women’s Basketball Championship for the first time, marking one of many achievements of that year. In addition, they made it all the way to the Final Four in the Women’s March Madness tournament. Unfortunately, the team got knocked out of the tournament in the semifinals, ending their season. While a few people graduated, there were two large losses: Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule. The two were starters for the basketball team and left big shoes to fill. Over the time off, the town of Blacksburg was anxious to see how the impressive Women’s Basketball team would show up in the new season. People were not disappointed, as only partially through the season the Hokies have accomplished impressive wins, broken records, and been an exciting team to watch.

Among the most impressive of their performances, the Hokies’ win over North Carolina State was not expected and entirely exciting. On January 7, 2024, the (then) ranked #13 Virginia Tech women’s basketball team upset #3 North Carolina State in a nail-biter at Cassell Coliseum. Despite having the home-court advantage, Virginia Tech was not the favorite by a long shot. In fact, during the game, they had not held a lead until their very last basket which won them the game 63-62. The win was exhilarating for the Hokies, and many players put up impressive numbers for their team. Most notably, Elizabeth Kitley (#33) and Georgia Amoore (#5). The center, Kitley, put up 27 points and 12 rebounds. Whereas the guard, Amoore, shot for 21 points and had 7 assists. The numbers the two players threw up for their team were reminiscent of the dominance exhibited in the previous season, and left every fan proud to be a Hokie.

Not only has the Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball team had impressive wins this season, but they’ve managed to break a few records along the way. Taking the lead on December 21, 2023, Elizabeth Kitley became the all-time leading rebounder in the ACC. This was a huge win for the Hokies, as they maintain their spot as a strong ACC team after their win in the conference championship last season. For fans, this was not a shock to any as the center consistently pulls through for her team. Additionally, the team set the record for the largest win margin in the history of ACC women’s basketball play. This was accomplished by the Hokies’ win over Pittsburgh, the final score being 91-41 with a winning margin of 50 points. Most importantly, and for the first time in program history, the team is the ACC regular season champion for the 2023-2024 season.

Along with this ACC accomplishment, Georgia Amoore and Elizabeth Kitley were named to the All-ACC First Team. And, for the first time in Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball history, Elizabeth Kitley was named for the third time as ACC Player of the Year. By breaking these records, the Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball team is constantly setting a new bar for themselves.

Source: Virginia Tech Athletics

Though the 2024 season has not come to an end, the Hokies have done a great job so far. Following their incredible success of last year, the team had big expectations set on their shoulders. They’ve done well with this pressure, having dominant wins and setting new standards. With big players like Georgia Amoore and Elizabeth Kitley, the team is a strong opponent. The town of Blacksburg is excited to see what the team has in store for the rest of the season. The road to round two is well underway, and the Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball Team is taking it in stride.